


Humorous Hunk

by Katarable



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Body Image, Character Study, Eating Disorders, Gen, Hunk Deserved Better, Introspection, Self-Esteem Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-23
Updated: 2019-09-23
Packaged: 2020-10-26 15:20:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20744357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katarable/pseuds/Katarable
Summary: “‘Humorous Hunk.’Hunk wouldn’t think anything of it; he loves making people laugh. But he doesn’t understand why he can’t be a loverboy or a hero.Actually, no. He does understand. He understands every time he looks in the mirror.”Hunk wonders what it means for him to be a paladin and look the way he does.





	Humorous Hunk

The armor looks really cool.

  
Just looking at that shade of yellow makes Hunk feel excited. It’s so bright, so vibrant, caring and kind with a mighty heart, as Allura said. It’s everything that he wants to be.

  
And it looks way too small for him.

  
“Big man.” That was what Keith called him before he knew his name. At the time Hunk was too busy freaking out to really think about it, but it resurfaces now. Big man won’t fit in that.

  
But he might as well try, so he tries it on and…it fits. Mostly. The stomach is a bit too tight (of course) and it’s a little small in the shoulders. But it’s wearable.

  
Every other suit fits the paladins like a glove.

* * *

It’s really good. Hunk didn’t even know so many flavors could fit into one food. It’s so good that he doesn’t hesitate to take another bite, and another, and another, and then he’s scooping more helpings onto his plate.

  
He’s about to get his fourth helping when he pauses and looks around the table.

  
Everyone is looking at him.

  
Oh no.

_  
What did I just do?_

  
Is Lance looking at him funny? That looks a lot like disdain to him, oh god, he ate too quickly and now his best friend is thinking bad things. The princess is thinking bad things. He just pigged out in front of a princess. In front of _Shiro._ Shiro must be so disappointed, he must think Hunk is so gluttonous and so must everyone else at the table.

  
He sets his fork down, and it stays on the table for the rest of the meal.

  
Everyone else finishes their dinner with the usual smalltalk and the usual snide remarks. Hunk stays out of it. The last thing he needs is to attract more attention. As they all clean their plates, Pidge stays seated next to Hunk. She looks concerned.

  
“Hunk, are you sure you don’t want anything else?” Pidge asks.

  
“Yeah, I’m sure,” he says. “I’m full.”

* * *

“Hey guys, wait up!”

  
They’re all running so fast. Shiro is a powerhouse on his feet, strides hitting the ground with incredible force. Keith is a lot more graceful than he’d probably care to admit, light on his feet where Shiro is heavy and effortless where Shiro is mighty. They balance each other out that way. Pidge is almost as fast as Keith. Not a surprise at all; she’s a tiny little thing, but she’s all legs. Lance has a long way to go, but he’s trying, and he’s keeping up where it matters.

  
Hunk is trying too. He’s just not succeeding.

  
He pauses and rests his hands on his knees, panting. He’ll catch up with them eventually. Either that or one of them will hang back and they’ll catch up together.

  
By the time he reaches them, he’s not even upset that he wasn’t fit enough to keep up.

  
He’s upset because nobody waited for him.

* * *

“Humorous Hunk.”

  
Hunk wouldn’t think anything of it; he loves making people laugh. But he doesn’t understand why he can’t be a loverboy or a hero.

  
Actually, no. He does understand. He understands every time he looks in the mirror.

  
So it makes sense that he be the one to have his feet ripped out from under him. It makes sense that he be the one to fall flat on his ass. The ground hurts. The infinite laughter all around him hurts even more. Then the fart noises start, and they feel louder than all the laughs.

  
This is the way it goes for as long as they’re all on the stage. He slips, or falls, or is pushed, and everyone thinks the fat boy is oh so funny.

  
No, he doesn’t like it, but it’s what’s best for the team. So he accepts it.

* * *

“Do you think I’m a good paladin?”

  
Lance scoffs. “Yeah, dummy. You’re better than me, at least.”

  
Damnit. For once would he just be able to listen without making everything about him. “This isn’t about you, Lance.”

  
“What?”

  
Hunk could so easily snap right now. Usually he’s the one to act as the group therapist, and usually he’s glad to do it, but he can’t always be the leg. He can’t always do the heavy lifting. All he’s asking is for one moment to be vulnerable.

  
“I’m sorry. I just wanted to ask…am I…you know, I’m a lot…bigger than you guys.”

  
“Doesn’t mean you’re a bad paladin.” Lance pats him on the shoulder. “We’re the legs, you and me. Legs gotta be strong. And if it’s really a big problem for you, just do a few more situps, right?”

_  
Damnit._ Hunk loves Lance to death, but now he knows that he’s not the best at support.

  
“Get some sleep, kay? I love ya, man.”

  
Hunk nods and tucks himself in. He wishes he could believe that Lance could love him the way he is now.

  
But he can’t. Not unless he does a few more situps.

* * *

Hunk skips dinner the next day.

**Author's Note:**

> To make a long story short, I wrote this because it's hard to say "Voltron validated my eating disorder" and be taken seriously. I wanted to express what I felt watching the show through Hunk's eyes – how it felt to be a joke.  
This is the only thing I will ever write for Voltron excluding the 5,000+ word video essay I’ve been working on for almost 3 years now. No one is ready for when that hits the internet.  
\-------  
Thank you for reading this. Comments and kudos water my crops!  
Yell at me on [tumblr](https://kataruhh.tumblr.com)


End file.
